pitmaster

Classic demonland. Find a negative in a positive.🤣🤣

Smith will be fantastic. Accomplished lawyer, seriously good (200-games) player in his day, totally committed Demon who is routinely at the G (except for this year obviously) with a strong network and MCC links where he was on the committee for close to 20 years and a proven chairman (MCC four years ). We couldn't have a better incoming president right now. Hopefully the same is true of Paul Guera.

For the paywalled: A payout of nearly $1 million for the final year of Simon Goodwin’s contract would not stop Melbourne from parting ways with the premiership coach should the board decide the change was the circuit breaker the club needed. Melbourne are determined to make significant changes this year after another season that has spiralled into misery. There is a harder edge to Melbourne’s decision-making this year and the potential of a payout for Goodwin or other contracted staff will not be an impediment to change should they decide it is required. Goodwin’s position remains under serious threat at season’s end, and possibly sooner should the club lose to bottom-of-the-ladder West Coast at the weekend. The Demons board held a scheduled board meeting on Monday, which included presentations from both Goodwin and former All Blacks performance head Darren Shand, the consultant who ran the club’s football review at the end of last year. Board member Steven Smith, who will take over as club president from Brad Green later in the year, joined the meeting by conference call from Europe. While the board did not settle on what its next course of action will be, it was agreed that significant changes to the football department are needed. The timing of decisions on those changes will not be reliant on the handover of the presidency. Senior Melbourne sources said the board would analyse the football department and performance again, look at Shand’s review conducted at the end of last year and examine whether changes recommended then were properly implemented this year. They will consider Alan Richardson’s role as the club’s head of football, the broader coaching panel as well as the senior coaching position, and most pointedly, consider whether changing the senior coach is necessary to prompt cultural and seismic change at the club, or simply the easiest and most symbolic change to make. What change would have the biggest impact at a club that needs to halt a continued slide from their premiership year? Moving on the one coach in the past 60 years to take the club to a premiership? Overhauling the rest of the coaches and football figures? Being more aggressive in turning over the playing list? Or all of the above? The potential availability of a number of experienced senior AFL coaches – namely Adam Simpson, John Longmire and Nathan Buckley – cannot be ignored when considering whether Goodwin’s message is still getting through or the group needs a new voice. Melbourne believe they could cover the impact on the soft cap of paying out the final year of Goodwin’s contract, or other contracts, if it came to a decision to part ways. The only certainty, as a senior Melbourne figure said, was that all options were on the table for the football department, with the board agreeing the status quo was not working. The dissatisfaction and resignation of members and sponsors is not lightly dismissed. While all options are on the table for the broad football department and strategy, the same does not apply to the playing list, as players such as Max Gawn and Kysaiah Pickett will not be up for trade. The Demons are aware they have stuck with the same midfield of Gawn, Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney since their 2021 premiership. That midfield blend was formidable when their game style, predicated on contested ball and strong defence, was the successful dominant method of play, but has waned in the years that the trend has been towards transition running and repeat speed. Debate has been had internally about whether Melbourne’s list is suited to that style of play or, if it is, then is the style getting trough to the players? That is the list-versus-coaching debate every club that finds itself in this situation argues about (see Carlton). Melbourne refused to trade Oliver to Geelong last year, believing the return offered was insufficient, and shutdown Petracca’s restlessness for a move. The club still believes it would need a significant return to entertain moving any of its players, including that pair, on. The Demons do not have a first round draft pick this year. As a senior Melbourne figure observed of their season, doing nothing is not an option.

This says (a little) more: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/1m-payout-won-t-stop-demons-making-tough-call-on-goodwin-if-necessary-20250729-p5min1.html

Funny that because last night I was wondering how you would recover in time for the podcast. It will be missed.

So I am not the only one. Thanks for letting me know.

There are clearly doubts about Selwyn and the fitness program but yesterday was a mental failure. We never put sides to the sword. How often - when we were winning - did we get on top of sides and lament the fact that a four goal win should have been by much more. Other sides know how to make the most of a chance to utterly [censored] the opposition but we don't and that's a mind set issue. We are not, and I don't remember when we were last ruthless. At 3/4 time the right mental setting was to absolutely bury the Saints but we didn't have it. So yeah, by all means get rid of Selwyn, but we also need some Northey-like mongrel in the coaching personnel and the senior players.

Pert was the AFL's choice. Collingwood had booted him and it was a job for a member of the boys club I believe.

To be fair, that focus was the journos' choice and down to their questions. Goodwin did highlight the smashing in the midfield and loss of momentum which is on the senior players.

Seriously? The bloke who appointed Mark Neeld? No thanks.

He's done it before...and against this same mob...and cost a last minute loss as well.

My fear is that the fact that the eight almost settled - and you have to fear for the Dogs' chances with the Suns win over the Lions today leaving the western suburb crew a game outside the eight - the AFL will do something knee-[censored] and stupid, like introduce a wildcard round. Spare us! As for the Dogs in ninth spot with a percentage of 125-plus, that has to be the definition of flat track bully.

It's a dour struggle between Matt Hill and Mark Howard for the title of most useless, uninformative and distracting commentator. 3/4 time its Howard by a couple of points.

Jeff Gleeson, who cleared Maynard for his Brayshaw hit, finds differently for May. Go figure.

Remember this name and hope we don't see him in the final round. He paid two unjustified 50 metre penalties to the Filth in their game against the Dockers including the widely discredited "dissent" decision. From my viewing of the replay he was sweating on anything like a frown from the Docker and could not wait to call dissent when the players arm was raised but did not point at the screen. Has about 120 games under his belt which goes to show that experience doesn't necessarily make them any good. And BTW, how was Maynard not penalised for pushing Reid into the dugout?

Funny to hear Nathan Buckley raving about Carlton being "excellent". Yes he said it. Lauded their pressure (fair enough), rated Cripps over Clarry on the night (arguable but OK) and generally raved about the Blues. He said nothing about the Dees yet this was a game that was arguably decided by a non-free kick (to Clarry) that would have put us inside 50 with two points down and 90 seconds to play. Sadly, the free went begging and a soft as summer butter decision and goal was gifted to Curnow. I am not saying the umpires determined the result - although they did influence it - because we had our chances as usual with more I-50s and winning contested possession. However, Buckley cited those same stats going Collingwood's way in their loss to Freo to say their game was in a good place. Just goes to show what winning does to perception and "expert commentary".

Darcy Moore is a maggot and a cheat and should be rubbed out for that last act. Suck a fat one McRae.

Having seen such a dominant few weeks from Kozzie with him attending about 90% centre bounces I can't help wondering how much his absence in the first three weeks queered, as in compromised our season. We started with a narrow loss to the Giants that probably would have been a win with Kozzie playing even half as well as this week. If that 0-5 start never happened players' confidence and trust in one another would have been so much stronger and a new game style easier to implement and perfect. Can the panel please discuss?

Two very ordinary teams. I thought we'd win, not even thinking of their outs. I don't actually think they missed anything non personnel because they discovered Moir is an amazing kick for goal and he was the difference. The umpiring was every bit as poor as the teams and they too were the difference. They were instrumental in multiple Carlton goals and had a strange aversion to treating Melbourne equally in the matter of 50 metre penalties and free kicks alike. The new Melbourne style was there from time to time with some pretty good ball movement and intent to find targets inside 50 but our skills overall just aren't good enough. Jeffo teases. A great contested defensive mark followed by a clanger. A shot for goal that seemed to come off his shin. Each week of the past three he has kicked a goal but should have had multiple goals. I guess we persevere because he is improving. Melkie missing this week and failing to score from a deliberate shot I was certain he would nail. Fritter has come good in lot of ways and is really contributing. Oliver was great. Trac is a shadow of his former self. I am just hoping he comes good next season. Rivers was better, Kozzie brilliant, Viney a Trojan, Gawn mistreated and betrayed by the umpires who frankly are amateurish. Now to watch the replay and become angry all over again.

I thought that last year we were rebuilding on the run before it became something that lots of people said. I'm not claiming special insight but that was how it looked to me with Luke and Gus gone. I don't think the expression excludes making the finals, however. If you are easing a few kids in you'd still be looking to make finals for the opportunity to bring the young ones on as quickly as possible so I don't see it as the club spinning anything. It's a frank admission of where we are at given our losses since the flag are substantial: Brayshaw, Jackson, Brown, Hibberd, Harmes, Jordon, effectively this year Spargo, and more importantly Burgo and Ooze. That is a lot of talent and fitness and footy smarts we are missing.

Agree. We have won the first of four so-called winnable games. Hopefully we take the points in at least three of them. Then, the big test of how much we have or haven't improved is the final three weeks against teams playing for a finals or top four spot will really tell us how we're shaping for 2026. I'd want to see us win at least one, but hopefully two of the Bulldogs, Hawks or Filth, and be nothing less than competitive in any we don't win.

Pretty sure I don't. One former Demon with a solid CV in assistant coaching who I would hope is in the frame once Simon finishes is Cam Bruce. His time at Hawthorn and Brisbane as assistant includes multiple premierships which, while not his responsibility, shows he has seen how it's done. And he's had a different kind of experience at Carlton. Bruce's CV vastly outweighs anything Jones is going to be able to present. Assuming he wants to step up to the main job, of course.

True, but I think the decision to leave was only finally crunched when he was told he would not be in the GF side.

I admire these guys for their commitment but their opinions are no more valid than some of the bitter, doomsaying Dees fans I already avoid. In fact, to call them superficial, lightweight , knee-[censored] and reactive about sums them up. But they care and if you need someone to vent on your behalf, these blokes will get the job done. Just don't expect anyone to take it too seriously. (And maybe I'm getting old but could they lay off the F-bombs?)

Thanks for the reply. I was looking at the Trident waitlist as I normally sit in the MCC area but I am sick of sharing the space - and being outnumbered - with opposition supporters. I was assuming I'd still be on the northern stand side. But I noticed that some Warne stand Trident seats are better positioned and might have to consider them if the opportunity arises. I'll seek no more information from yae, and should I proceed I'll make a point of not disturbing the Solitary Silent One. 🤫🤫